What Once Was Shall Never Be
by Opinionated Asmodeus
Summary: She made a choice, and a wish, to undo what had been wrought upon her. So she goes back to a time before William Compton ever entered her life with the help of the Cluviel Dor. Only this time around things are so different from what she remembers. !Companion story to Criminally Yours. !Triple Crossover with From Dusk Till Dawn
1. In Which Sookie Uses the Cluviel Dor

She hadn't known what to do with the Fairy artifact at first, even though its ability to grant a wish had been explained to her. There just hadn't been anything she could have used the Cluviel Dor for, and no she wouldn't have used it to take care of Eric's marital problems. He had gotten himself into that fine mess himself, she thought with bitter tears pricking at her eyes. She was over his womanizing ass, pardon her French, and there was nothing he could do to convince her that he would change his ways.

Then there was Sam. A good friend and her boss. He'd been killed, accidentally but killed none the less by Jannalynn. She thought about using the Cluviel Dor then, to revive him, only something made her pause. A niggling thought of that if it could be used to revive him, then what about Gran? What about all of those people who hadn't deserved to die? Why save one when she could save more, if not all?

Sookie traced a finger over the smooth, glossy surface of the artifact as she wondered about how she could accomplish saving them all. She doubted that she could use it to revive all of them. It would likely only work on one. So if she couldn't revive all of them then she could go back before any of them died. Another thought gave her pause though. All of her troubles stemmed from Bill Compton, procurer for Sophie-Anne Leclerq. Well, technically Hadley was the cause of her problems, but Bill had been the one to manipulate her.

She had to go back before Bill had come into her life. That was the only way she could truly make a difference, but only if she remembered. Taking in a small breath Sookie picked up the Cluviel Dor and closed her eyes. "I wish…" A small frown twisted her features while she tried to figure out the right words to use. If she said it wrong, who knew what the Cluviel Dor would do. Licking her lips she exhaled and opened her eyes. She could do this. "I wish go far enough back before Bill Compton came into my life, with my memories of this life intact."

The Cluviel Dor pulsed in her hands, bright sparkles flickering into existence around her. They began to swirl counter-clockwise, slowly at first and then they began to speed up. The sparkles moved faster and faster until she was completely enclosed by a bright, golden cocoon of magic. Just a moment of watching the spectacle started to make her head hurt so she shut her eyes and tried to press a hand to her temple. Tried being the keyword.

Sookie found that she wasn't able to move. Panic quickly took hold of her and she opened her eyes to find that she was in pitch black darkness. It was nearly suffocating and her breathing was on the verge of becoming erratic when a soothing melody began playing out of nowhere.

"You must calm yourself, child," a gentle voice chided. "You have broken the laws of time by making such a wish, Sookie. This is a matter that cannot be taken lightly."

Sookie blinked in confusion, the darkness no less stifling, but now she was oddly calm. What was going on and what laws had she broken? More importantly she wasn't familiar with the voice speaking to her, but they seemed to know her.

A soft sigh came from behind her and then there was a faint shuffling. Stark against the darkness around them, a woman—old like her Gran had been—came into her sight. She moved stiffly, her head kept bowed. Sookie couldn't make out the features of her face, but she could tell that the woman's hair was black, despite her supposed age, and it was worn contained within an ornate golden headdress. She wore a style of clothes that Sookie was unfamiliar with, but the way she was dressed seemed like it suited her. Glancing back at the woman's face, just as the woman lifted it, Sookie realized with a startling horror that she had no eyes. She didn't even notice the slight glow the woman gave off, nor that her mind was silent.

"I do not mean to frighten you with my appearance, dear child. I have been like this since before I was turned." The woman seemed genuinely sincere, her voice softening as she continued to speak. "The Furies took my eyes, but they could not steal my Sight."

"Your _sight_?" Sookie asked automatically, her brow crinkling slightly.

"I am a seer, Sookie Stackhouse. The Pythia, or at least I was in my time as a mortal. The Sight does not depend upon eyes, thankfully, or I would have never foreseen you changing your own destiny." She gave a faint smile and turned away from Sookie, who found that she could suddenly move. "Come, child. We do not have much time."

Sookie followed along, still a bit confused but she was accepting that this was in fact happening. She could now see the glow the woman gave off and it was brighter than Russel Edgington's had ever been. "Might I know your name…?" She wasn't sure how she was supposed to address her. Did she have to call her Pythia?

"Aletheia, dear child. My name is Aletheia." Aletheia led the way through the darkness, only now it seemed more grey than anything.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Aletheia." This drew a brusque laugh from the vampire, which made Sookie frown a bit more. "Did I-"

"No, no, child. Nothing is the matter. Your manners are quite refreshing, is all." Aletheia gave Sookie a warm smile and stopped in front of a door that had seemed to suddenly materialize. "Now, don't worry about the laws of time. I'll handle that. What you need to remember, once you step through this door, is that nothing will be the same as you have known. You will not be human anymore, either, so you must master your fae powers."

"What about my…telepathy?" She cringed slightly as she brought up her _gift_ , not wanting to have to go through rebuilding her shields to try and keep the thoughts of others out.

"Someone who is waiting for you will be able to help you master all of your abilities. He is not an easy person to learn under, so you must keep that in mind before accepting his help. Also, he may be a vampire, but he is unlike any other you have met before, and you will know why when you meet him." Aletheia was looking in her direction, though it was rather chilling to be stared down by eyes that weren't there no matter how nice she seemed. "There is also one more thing you will need to do. There will be two men in need of your help on December Fifteenth in Quantico, Virginia. Your mentor-to-be can help you in aiding them, and you should consider hiring them as body guards for yourself."

It was a lot to take in, but Sookie understood that it had to be important if Aletheia was mentioning it to her. "Can I have their names?" The door in front of them began to open, a bright ray of light shining through the crack, drawing her attention to it.

Aletheia backed away from the light, her form starting to become enshrouded by the shadows. "Your mentor is Kyrios. The young men in need of your assistance are…"

The door swung open fully, bathing Sookie in warm sunlight while Aletheia's voice faded before she could reveal the names of the two men who needed her help. Sookie turned around to look for Aletheia, only she was standing outside of her house now with no trace of the former darkness or the ancient vampire. It was as if it had never happened, but she was quite certain it had. When she had made her wish it had been nighttime, and she hadn't been at home.

"Am I…" She turned around again, looking about her yard with a frown marring her features. There was a lawn chair set up, her usual tanning spot, with the reflective foldout for her neck and face laying on it. A glance downward told her all she needed to know. She was in her two piece bathing suit and her skin was already slicked up with a tanning lotion.

The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as a void quite suddenly appeared behind her, in broad daylight no less. This void was the largest she had ever sensed, nearly as vast as the sky above her. Heart in her throat, because no vampire should be able to withstand the rays of the sun on their own, she slowly turned around to face the newcomer right as Aeltheia's words echoed in her mind. Her mentor would be unlike any other vampire she had ever met.

He was tall, at least six foot one, so she had to crane her neck a little to look up at him. He was also extremely handsome, his skin darkly tanned, like it was his natural complexion, and he seemed to be made of muscles. Staring into bright and curious hazel eyes she swallowed unconsciously, her mouth oddly dry.

"Sookie Stackhouse, I presume?" His voice had a slight rumble to it, and was a lovely baritone that made her shiver a bit. His expression quickly became one of amusement and he chuckled low in his throat. "Sorry, but I've had a wife a long time ago and have no intention of ever taking another female to my bed." It was like he could read her mind.

"Oh, shoot mister, I'm really sorry. It's just that you're so…" Mouthwateringly tantalizing and oh God, she was embarrassing herself. She flushed in embarrassment and looked away from tall, dark and good looking.

"I seem to get that a lot." There was a slight note of irritation in his voice with his admission, but it wasn't directed at her. She was able to tell that much.

Stepping back a bit, she glanced towards him and noticed that his hair was cut into a mohawk style, but he didn't spike it up with gel. Instead the hair was partially braided along the sides and brushed back. It suited him, she thought. He wore a pair of black jeans, boots and a light grey sleeveless t-shirt. "I really am sorry about that," she apologized again, to which he just smiled and gave a shake of his head. "And yes, I am Sookie Stackhouse."

"Well, Miss Stackhouse, I am Kyrios Stavros, and I am sure you were told about me?" It was like he was testing her, to make sure that she was authentic in her knowledge.

"Aletheia…" She said the name softly, to which Kyrios nodded solemnly. "She said that you would be able to help me master all of my abilities, and that you are not an easy person to train under." She didn't need time to think about her decision. She knew that she had to be stronger this time. "I would like for you to teach me all that you can."

Kyrios remained silent, his expression becoming serious now. He gave Sookie a precursory glance over before he finally nodded. "We will start with physical training first thing tomorrow. Right now there is someone you should speak to."

"Sookie? Who's that young man out there with you?" Adele Stackhouse's voice came from the direction of the front porch, at which a shocked look immediately swept over Sookie's face.

She turned to look at her Gran for the first time in what seemed like forever, her eyes moistening with tears. She was certain now that she was definitely in the past. Her wish had worked, and her Gran was alive. Without even thinking, she bolted up the stairs and wrapped her arms around Gran.

"Sookie, dear?" Adele was taken aback by her granddaughter's sudden hug, but she returned the embrace.

"I'm fine, Gran. I'm just so happy to see you right now." Sookie pulled back after a moment and smiled tearfully up at the Stackhouse matriarch. "It feels like I haven't seen you in forever."

"You've only been outside for a few minutes…" Adele trailed off, a frown worrying her weathered face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm better than okay." Sookie wiped away the tears threatening to spill and she looked back out at Kyrios. " Gran, I'd like to introduce you to a new friend."

Kyrios took this as his cue to approach and held out a hand which Adele took to shake. He surprised her with a quick kiss to her knuckles. "Kyrios Stavros, Mrs. Stackhouse."

"Now, now. None of that. You call me Adele, young man." Her tone was gently chiding and she gave Kyrios a warm smile.

"As you insist, Adele." Kyrios returned her smile with one of his own and let go of her hand. "Shall we get out of this heat, ladies?"

"Absolutely. Come in and make yourself at home." Adele ushered both Sookie and Kyrios into the house, bustling in after them.

Sookie glanced at Kyrios in wonder, as he hadn't received a formal invitation to enter the house, yet he had been able to cross the threshold with no problems. She could only wonder just how much different this day walking vampire marvel was. Leading the way into the living room, she sat down on the couch while Kyrios took a seat in the chair opposite of the couch.

"Would you like something to drink?" Adele made her way into the kitchen, pausing in the doorway to look at her granddaughter with a sharp frown. "Sookie, go put on some clothes."

Sookie blinked then looked back down at her bathing suit, a blush quickly pinking her cheeks. She bolted up from the couch and out of the living room to go upstairs for a change of clothes. Within minutes she was back downstairs in a pair of shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt. "My apologies," she mumbled slightly as she sat back down on the couch next to her Gran. There were glasses of lemonade set out for all of them, and she automatically began to reach for her glass.

"Fae are allergic to lemons." Kyrios said it quite suddenly, which made both Stackhouse women pause. Sookie looked confused while there was shock on Adele's face. "You are full Fae now, Sookie, so it would be wise to avoid lemons and iron."

"H-how?" Adele had a hand pressed to her chest while her gaze darted from Kyrios to Sookie and back. "You shouldn't be more than…"

"A quarter Fae?" Sookie withdrew her hand from her glass of lemonade, her own gaze going to her Gran.

"How do you know, Sookie?" There was worry in Adele's tone and a tinge of fear.

"You should tell her the truth, Sookie," Kyrios said it softly, his gaze fixed on Sookie. "Even if it is painful, she should know."

"Gran, out on the porch when I said it felt like I hadn't seen you in a long time… It's because I used the Cluviel Dor in the future. I wished to come back here so…" Sookie paused here and took a deep breath as tears pricked at her eyes again. "The time that I came from, a lot of people, innocent people, died. You were one of them. I hadn't known about the Cluviel Dor then, hadn't found it until much later. It wasn't until Sam Merlotte was accidentally killed did I think about using it. Only, I couldn't just wish back one person… I wanted to see you again too. I wanted to change things for the better."

"Oh Sookie." Adele swept Sookie into a tight hug while she gave a short sob. "My poor baby. You should have told me. Whether you're the same girl who woke up this morning or the one who wished herself here, you're still my granddaughter."

Sookie returned the hug and let her tears fall, her head coming to rest on her Gran's shoulder. "There's more, Gran. I don't know when, but vampires are going to reveal themselves to the world. It's supposed to happen in the year 2006, and I don't know how close that is."

"Vampires?" There wasn't any disbelief in Adele's tone, probably due to her involvement with a Fae that led to her descendants having Fae blood. "What will they be like?"

"We drink blood and do not age. That is a common thing among the many different types of vampires. The ones Sookie speaks of are unlike me, however. I can shift my form to one of fourteen different forms I have. Most are the forms of animals, while one is of something I would never show to any other who is not a vampire. Some can shift their shape, but to only one thing, and others cannot shift at all. I can day walk, which only a very few of us can do. All other vampires cannot enter the daylight. There are differing reactions for the others. Some will explode, others burst into flames and some do burn, but they can heal if they are old enough." Kyrios picked up the glass of lemonade now, drawing their attention to it. He took a long draught from the glass, emptying it almost halfway. "The day walkers, like myself, are capable of eating and drinking human food and beverages, while all others are required to drink blood. I can be severely injured and even killed by fire, and in most other cases it would outright kill lesser vampires. Again, some of them their age does play a factor. I can be staked, but that would require knowing where I keep my heart."

Where he kept his heart? Sookie sat up, pulling away from her Gran, while she stared at Kyrios. "Your heart is not in your body?" Could other vampires do this? Could Bill do this?

"It is not. This capability is rare, however, and not something even we elite share with others." Kyrios stared back at Sookie now, noting the look of fear that had entered her eyes. "I can assure you the vampires you know of are not capable of removing their hearts from their bodies."

It was a relief to hear that. Sookie slumped back against the couch and closed her eyes. Only a few seconds passed when a thought entered her mind. "Can another vampire, say like the one kind I know of, become like you?" She had reopened her eyes and lifted her head to gaze at Kyrios.

"It is certainly possible, and I can tell you that I wasn't always this way either. I earned it, but those are details that you do not need to hear." Kyrios set his glass down and leaned back in his chair.

"Oh, this is all so interesting. You don't look very old, but how old are you now?" Adele looked rather excited, enthusiasm lighting her face up.

"I am four thousand and thirty years old. I was born in Ancient Greece, seventh generation in my tribe of escaped Thracian slaves. I was thirty-three when I started to become a vampire after an incident with neighboring tribes that resulted in my father's death. He was the chief of our tribe." There was more to the story, but Kyrios didn't say anything further.

"What were vampires like back then?" Sookie asked this question, because if there were different types…

"Most, if not all back then, did not have a human form. I believe I was one of the first humans to become a vampire, but that didn't make me the oldest one. The ones that came before, though, I completely eradicated after my wife was abducted, tortured, raped and killed by a neighboring village that was harboring an Old One." His expression became a little cold here, his memories obviously resurfacing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…" Sookie knew then that it was a sore subject. He had mentioned having a wife out in the yard, but for her to have such a brutal end.

"It is in the past, Sookie, and I had my time to mourn her passing with our sons. She fought, but they had overpowered her in the end." A glimmer of a smile passed over his face and afterwards his expression became neutral. "Her name was Phaidra."

"That's a pretty name," Adele commented sincerely. "And your boys?"

"Iairos and Arastos." It was obvious that they had been his pride and joy, the way his expression softened as he spoke of them. "They grew well, and had children of their own. They ruled our tribe and helped it prosper, it was more than I could have ever hoped for."

"They sound like they were fine young men." Adele beamed, her eyes slightly misted while she studied Kyrios. "Now, Kyrios, what is your interest in my Sookie?"

Kyrios glanced over to Sookie then back to Adele. "I have no romantic interest toward her, just to be clear, so you will have no worries there. I was asked to train her and help her master her Fae powers by one of my progeny. Sookie knows that I will not be an easy person to train under and has accepted my offered services. For this training to take place, however, she will need to leave her job and stay with me for quite some time. I can make allowances, for her to visit with her family, but not much else than that. I understand that this will put a considerable financial strain on your family, Adele, so to make up for the loss of her income I will gladly provide for you and your home. This is not charity, so please do not mistake what I will give you for compensation as such."

Sookie opened her mouth to argue, but she quickly shut it with a look from her Gran. She couldn't leave her job! But her training was priority.

"Her training will be intense enough that she can't work," Adele concluded, nodding to herself as she thought everything over. She didn't like Sookie having to work so hard for what she was already making at Merlotte's, and she knew that Sookie deserved so much better than what Bon Temps could ever offer her. "I would like to see her every Sunday, if you don't mind."

A smirk lifted the corner of Kyrios' mouth and there was a gleam in his eyes. "Adele, she will be here for the weekends. And she will receive five thousand a month for giving up her time to me."

Sookie was at a profound loss for words, her mouth having dropped open in utter shock. Five thousand a month? For training? It was unbelievable. "I… I can't accept that much."

"Sookie, don't argue with the nice man. Five thousand a month is a perfectly reasonable amount," Adele cut in. "Now, young man. Could you show us one of your forms?"

"Certainly," Kyrios said with a smile, his tone amused. Just as quick as they could blink he was gone from his seat and in his place sat a dark brown wolf with hazel eyes.


	2. They Call Him Lord of the Night

Her Gran had been tickled pink by Kyrios' ability to shift forms, and after running her hands through the marvelously soft fur of his wolf form did she ask to see just one more. The next form shouldn't have surprised her, as it was a bat. A Large Flying Fox, to be precise.

"Do other vampires like you share the same forms?" Sookie asked once Kyrios had turned back.

"One or two might share a small number of forms similar to my own, but not all." He gave her an amused smile then turned to Adele. "Thank you for your wonderful hospitality, Adele, but I am afraid we must take our leave to make preparations and give Sookie's employer notice of her immediate resignation."

"Oh, don't worry. Just so long as you come over and visit, so I can cook you up something, I won't mind it a bit." Adele gave a warm smile, her mind already working on what she could fix for a vampire who could eat the same foods as herself. "I'll make sure there aren't any lemons in my recipes too."

"Thank you, Gran. This means a lot to me," Sookie gave her Gran a hug before she got up. She started to head for the stairs, only to be stopped by a light touch to her arm as she passed by Kyrios.

"I will provide you with clothes and anything else you need, Sookie." Kyrios gave her a stern look, to keep her from arguing, before turning his attention to Adele with a smile. "Take care, Adele, and we shall see you Friday evening."

Sookie gave a measured smile and allowed Kyrios to usher her out of the house. Once they were out in the yard she looked to the driveway, expecting to see her beat up yellow car. "Where's my car?"

"First things first. You were asking about the date, which is June 23rd, 2004, and it's a Wednesday. As for your _car_ , that contraption is unsafe and was gotten rid of." Kyrios started walking down the driveway, forcing Sookie to follow after him.

"So what will I use for transportation once I am finished training under you?" Sookie decided it was best to not argue with Kyrios. He wasn't anything like Eric, and he was leagues and leagues above Bill. "Oh! Wait!" That reminded her about the Compton house across the cemetery.

"You will be given one of my vehicles to keep." Kyrios pause and turned to look at Sookie, whose gaze had gone to the barely visible Compton house. He followed her gaze then gave a slight shake of his head. "Aletheia spared me no details, Sookie. I have bought the home from the human Compton living there and he is in the best care facility money can afford. You need not worry about the Procurer." The home was set for renovation, and he already had plans for who was going to use it. "My adopted son and his wife will make use of the home."

Sookie's eyes went wide at the news and she resumed following Kyrios down the driveway. "What are their names and what are they like?" He hadn't mentioned them earlier, but he likely had his reasons for it.

"Harry and Hermione. They're both very bright, Hermione exceptionally so, and they're loyal, fierce, brave and so very talented. They're a wizard and witch respectively, and not of the variety you know. You'll understand once you meet them." Kyrios sounded incredibly proud of both of them, and she imagined he had a smile on his face while he spoke of his son and daughter-in-law. "Here we are."

Sookie stopped once more, her gaze going to a motorcycle parked to the side at the end of their driveway. She didn't know much about cars, let alone motorcycles, but the machine was sleek and dark blue all over. There were two helmets, so everything was already thought of. Perhaps even planned. "When will they come visit?"

"They'll be here for Thanksgiving." Kyrios walked up to the motorcycle and picked up one of the helmets. "They can watch over your Grandmother while we travel to Virginia to acquire the were-jaguars."

"Oh… Wait. Were-jaguars?" Did he mean the two men Aletheia had tried mentioning to her. She still hadn't gotten their names.

"Yes. They are a mated pair, or at least they will be by then." Kyrios wasn't going to be forthcoming with their names, and pressing him for information seemed like it wouldn't get her anywhere. Still, he'd given her enough to think about. "It doesn't bother you, does it?"

Sookie blinked at the question then realized he was referring to the fact that two male were-jaguars were mated to one another. "No! Who they choose to love is something I don't have a say in. It'd be like me criticizing you for choosing not to sleep with a woman anymore."

"If only more Christians were like you." He gave her a smile then held out the helmet for her to take. Once she had it and put it on did he slip the second helmet onto his own head. After that he got onto the bike and helped Sookie climb on behind him. "Hold on tight!"

It was the only warning Sookie got as he completely stood the bike up and flicked the kickstand up with his heel. The engine rumbled to life, so she quickly wrapped her arms around the vampire and squeezed her eyes shut. It wasn't necessary, because he didn't take off at an insane speed. She was about to question his instruction when the scenery started to whip past them once a good minute had passed.

Within a matter of minutes they had reached Merlotte's, startling her with just how fast they'd gone. As she climbed off of the back of the bike she found herself being steadied by a smug Kyrios, his helmet already off. She pulled her own helmet off, frowning when her hair got mussed, then gave him a critical glance over. His hair looked like it had before their ride. "How is your hair not messed up?"

Kyrios's face crinkled up with his amusement and he too dismounted from the bike. He took the helmet from Sookie and stored it back on his motorcycle while he avoided laughing at her. "Sorry, we just went well over a hundred miles an hour and your first question is about my hair. You are unusual."

"So are you." She scowled at him then patted her hair back into place. "And the speed didn't really bother me." She had expected the rush of wind passing over her to sting of something, but there had been none of that. It was something she would have to ask about later, if she remembered.

"Touché." Kyrios gave a little grin then offered his arm to Sookie. She took it without hesitation and let him lead her into Merlotte's. They were immediately accosted by Arlene Fowler, a fellow barmaid of Sookie's.

"Can I get you a table?" She seemed to not notice Sookie at all, her gaze transfixed on Kyrios.

Kyrios blinked then looked down at Arlene, a brow arching almost imperiously. "I beg your pardon, ma'am, but I am here to speak to the owner of this establishment in regards to Miss Stackhouse's employment." He motioned to Sookie, who was still on his arm, then gave a saccharine smile. "And to make things perfectly clear," he paused here purposefully, his gaze flicking to Arlene's name tag. "I'm not interested in women, Arlene. Period."

Arlene's mouth dropped open and she stared, to the point that it became a little uncomfortable. Sookie gave an exasperated roll of her eyes and tugged a bit on Kyrios' arm. "She'll be a moment," the Fae whispered as she led the vampire towards the office. They had to pass the kitchen on the way there, and Lafayette was on the grill. He noticed them immediately.

"What you doin' in here on your day off, Hookah?" Lafayette leaned through the serving window, his gaze flicking from Sookie to Kyrios. "And hanging off that fine piece o' ass too."

Kyrios chuckled while Sookie appeared to be mortified, almost perfectly mimicking Arlene. "I like him, Sookie." She visibly relaxed at that statement, a vivid blush painting her cheeks.

"And LaLa likes you too, Sugar. Now what you doin' in here, Hookah? Don't make me come out this kitchen." Lafayette was unfazed by Kyrios, it seemed, and was most definitely his usual self. She vaguely recalled that he ended up getting murdered, but something about Lafayette seemed different this time.

"I'm here to talk to Sam, Laf. Something really important came up and I can't work here anymore." Sookie watched as her friend frowned, his gaze immediately going to Kyrios.

"Is he getting you caught up in some kind of trouble, Sook?" Lafayette did come out of the kitchen now, his posture an attempt at intimidation.

Sookie glanced at Kyrios to find that he was imminently amused, his mouth upturned into a smirk. He didn't seem the least bit bothered by Lafayette. "It's not like that, Lafayette. Look… Lafayette, this is Kyrios and he is going to be helping me out. Kyrios, this is Lafayette."

"Lafayette! Your food is starting to-" Sam Merlotte came from the back office, stopping mid sentence when he saw Sookie and Kyrios. There was a strange look that passed over his face while he stared at the Greek vampire, followed by confusion and shock.

"Why don't you go talk with your boss, Sookie?" Kyrios offered, unwinding their arms while giving Sam a polite smile.

Sookie nods with a slight frown on her face, having thought that Kyrios would be talking to Sam with her. "Sam, we need to talk…in private."

"Of course, Sookie, right this way." Sam gave Kyrios a final glance, a frown on his face, before he led Sookie into the back office.

As soon as the door was shut behind them Sam whirled around to look at her, his mouth opening to start what was likely to be an argument. "I don't want to hear it, Sam Merlotte. I know perfectly well what Kyrios is, and it doesn't bother me one bit."

Sam looked taken aback, because that hadn't been the first thing he had wanted to ask. "How can he walk in daylight?!"

Sookie blinked then frowned and put her hands on her hips. "That ain't none of your business, Sam. Besides, I wanted to talk to you about my job. I can't work here anymore 'cause of something that came up. Kyrios is going to help me with that."

"Sookie, this isn't you! He's done something to you and you can't control it!" Sam was grasping for something, anything, but this only caused Sookie to shake her head.

"I can't be glamoured, Sam, and Kyrios is quite the gentleman." Sookie wasn't going to reveal her being part, no, full-blooded Fae to the shifter, especially if he was going to be this unreasonable. "I also know he is a lot more dangerous than you think you know, but I've put my trust in him."

"Sookie!" This clearly wasn't going to end well, Sam being stuck on the notion that Kyrios had done something to her.

"I do not have time for this," she muttered under her breath and went to leave the office. Sam stopped her by grabbing onto her arm rather tightly, which was quite a surprise to her.

"I'm not letting you go with him, Sookie!" He tried to pry her away from the office door when he was quite suddenly blasted away from Sookie by a bright pulse of light.

Sookie didn't bother to see if Sam was okay. She wrenched the door open and tried to bolt out of the office, only she ran right into Kyrios. He wrapped an arm around her to keep her steady while he gave Sam a glare that promised lots and lots of pain for the shifter.

"Sook! Are you okay, Sook?" Lafayette was directly behind Kyrios, to which the vampire handed her over to the flamboyant short order cook, worry etched onto his face. He held the blonde close, noting that there were tears in her eyes and she was trembling. "Wait a moment, Mr. Kyrios. I have something to say to my boss before you lay into him."

Kyrios paused and gave Lafayette a spare glance, his expression blatantly murderous. "The floor is yours, Mr. Reynolds."

Apparently Lafayette and Kyrios had talked a bit more while she'd been trying to explain things to Sam. Said shifter was groggy, and trying to figure out what had happened to him. His gaze finally fell on Kyrios, who hadn't budged an inch from in front of the office doorway.

Lafayette held on to Sookie tightly while a range of emotions flicked across his face. He finally settled on anger. "Sam Merlotte, you best find yourself another short order cook, 'cause I refuse to work for someone like you. I'mma warn Tara away from working for your sorry ass too, so don't think of asking my cousin for help." Even though he couldn't see Sam he was certain that his now former-boss was regretting what he'd just done to Sookie. "C'mon, Hookah, let's bounce." He led Sookie out of Merlotte's, leaving Kyrios to deal with Sam.

-WOWSNB-

He turned to face the shifter once Lafayette had taken Sookie away, his usually maintained illusion dropping away. It was a small one, to make his teeth look normal, nothing more than that. Now they were back to their naturally sharp appearance, his fangs more than evident when he spoke. "Killing you, Shifter, is not beneath me." He stepped into the office and shut the door with that warning, his irises darkening rapidly.

Sam started to move slightly, in an attempt to get up from where Sookie had blasted him to on the opposite side of the office. Things had been knocked off of the wall and there was a nasty crack in wooden panels. "Sookie…"

"Is under **my** protection, Shifter, as is Mr. Reynolds." Kyrios had immediately noticed the dormant power within Lafayette as soon as he saw him. The human was a medium, and a strong one at that. "But you don't seem to know who I am."

"You're a goddamn vampire. That's all I need to know," Sam growled angrily as he pulled himself up using a nearby filing cabinet.

Kyrios crossed the room quickly, far faster than Sam could follow, and delivered a sharp punch to the shifter's gut. He did hold back, because he didn't want to kill the shifter just yet. This was going to be a mere warning. It was one that sent Sam right back to the ground, where he curled up in pain. "Then you know nothing." Going to one knee next to the shifter, he reached down and grabbed him by the hair at the back of his head.

Sam had apparently grabbed a piece of a broken picture frame, and it was as soon as Kyrios grabbed his hair that he struck. He aimed for where the heart should be and felt the makeshift stake pierce through skin and bone.

Kyrios wasn't fazed by this in the slightest, had even expected it. Watching as a look of horror spread across Sam's face when he didn't turn into a bloody mess, the vampire smirked dangerously. "Like I said, you know nothing." Kyrios let go of Sam's hair and stood up. He pulled the wood out from his chest, the wound healing almost immediately, and held on to the bloody instrument. He wasn't going to let any of his blood get taken to be studied under a microscope if he could help it.

"You… Y-you…" Sam was in shock now, because everything he thought he knew about vampires had just been turned even further upside down. Sookie and Lafayette were the furthest things from his mind right now.

"And here I was hoping you would have more fight in you. I was wrong, apparently." Sam turned out to be rather disappointing, but that didn't alleviate his anger over the shifter's treatment of Sookie. "You stay away from Sookie Stackhouse, or I will do more than just break your mind," Kyrios growled out. "I will remove your brain and eyeballs from your body, and don't think that you'll be anywhere close to dead when I do it. I can keep your pathetic ass alive, and I can make it so that you can still feel whatever your body goes through, on top of watching me while I do it."

Sam said nothing, instead he flinched at Kyrios' growl and tried to curl in on himself, as if it would ward off the extremely pissed off vampire. This reaction had Kyrios snorting before he got up and left Merlotte's entirely. Once he was outside he made a beeline for Sookie and Lafayette, who were leaning up against the human's car.

"How are you, Sookie?" She wasn't trembling anymore, but there were obvious tear tracks on her cheeks.

"I'll be fine," she murmured, which drew a frown from Kyrios. His gaze went to Lafayette, who had an arm around Sookie still and was just staring blankly at the bar.

Her answer was unsatisfactory, so he moved closer to her and gently cupped her cheek. He forced her to look up at him and let her see the worry etched into his expression. "You have no need to hide your pain from me, Sookie. If it hurts, then say so. The truth will not alter my perception of you in the slightest."

This seemed to be the right thing to say, because the dam broke and Sookie started to cry openly. The Fae let Kyrios hug her to him, a single arm wrapped around her while his hand rubbed soothing circles on her back. He silently glanced at Lafayette, who had turned his attention to them now, his expression darkening at the sight of Sookie's pain.

"Could you do me a favor, Lafayette?" Kyrios kept his voice low, and held up Sam's makeshift stake. "Burn this immediately." Lafayette started to take the stake from him but recoiled at the sight of the blood.

"Holy shit! Did you kill Sam?" And he immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Sookie, despite her crying, picked up on the flow of the conversation and looked at the weapon. Her eyes widened at the sight of the blood and she made the accurate conclusion as she let her gaze sweep over Kyrios' chest. There was a small, ragged hole in his shirt and blood was staining the material around the hole, but there was none on his skin that she could see.

"He tried to kill you?!" Now she was angry.

Lafayette was at a loss at Sookie's question, and he looked at the stake then to Kyrios. "Should we call the police?"

"It was just a scratch." Kyrios said it smoothly and offered Lafayette the stake once more. "No police. Just burn this and head over to the address I gave you. Sookie and I have one more thing to take care of, and it will take us a while."

"That's a lot of blood for just a scratch, Sugar, but I'll burn the stupid thing." Lafayette awkwardly plucked the makeshift stake from Kyrios' grasp, attempting to hold it without touching the blood. He pulled out a lighter and carefully lit the opposite end of the bloody weapon. Unfortunately for Lafayette the fire caught on rather quickly, causing him to drop it in surprise. Within seconds the stake had burned to cinders, a feat that should have been impossible were it not for the fact that it had Kyrios' blood on it.

Sookie, meanwhile was fuming and had pulled away from Kyrios to pace. "I can't believe he tried to kill you!"

Kyrios looked from Lafayette, who was certain to have questions, to Sookie. "We can explain things better later tonight, Lafayette. Just head over to the address I gave you and make yourself comfortable."

"I hear ya, Sugar. Hookah," Lafayette raised his voice a little, which actually got Sookie's attention enough to the point that she stopped pacing. "White boy is fine, Hookah. He can take care of himself, obviously."

"I…" Sookie paused as she looked to Kyrios, hesitation apparent in her body language. "Yes, yes he can," she finally stated after a few seconds, her anger over the situation calming slightly. She was still quite upset that Sam had acted the way he had, and had tried to kill her mentor-to-be.

"I'll see yous two later, Sook." Lafayette closed the distance between himself and Sookie, pulling the Fae into a hug that she returned. "I don't know what's goin' on, but I'mma trust you and Mr. Kyrios," he whispered before he pulled away.

Sookie gave him a watery smile and watched him leave, unaware that Kyrios was right behind her now. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned, finding him so close to her and holding up a handkerchief with a somewhat amused smile. "Cheese and rice! You gave me a scare!" Sookie exclaimed with a hand over her heart.

"You should wipe your face," Kyrios instructed and waved the handkerchief to draw her attention to it.

"I…. Thank you." Sookie didn't know what else to say, so she took the offered handkerchief and wiped her face off. She hadn't expected her resignation to go like this at all, and she honestly wasn't sure what had gotten into Sam. Why had he been so certain that Kyrios had done something to her? Did he know the vampire?

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kyrios tugged the used handkerchief out of her grasp now that she was done with it and pocketed it. "If it's about what the Shifter said, you needn't worry. It is a common misconception amongst the Supernatural that all vampires are alike."

"So everything you told me and Gran…."

"Is not known to most of the Supernatural population. Even some of the younger vampires are unaware of what I told you. Vampires like the Procurer and that childish Queen of his." Kyrios motioned towards his motorcycle, an indication that it was time they get going.

Sookie made her way over to the motorcycle, silently contemplating the gravity of everything she had been told. Settling onto the bike behind Kyrios once the extra helmet was pulled on, she leaned forward to settle her weight against Kyrios' back and wrapped her arms around him. She closed her eyes as the engine roared to life and without further ado they took off.

-WOWSNB-

The drive back took longer than she expected, and when Sookie finally lifted her head from Kyrios' back and opened her eyes, she finally realized why. They'd gone to Shreveport. Her brows furrowed slightly and her lips pursed a little as she frowned. She didn't need a helping hand this time to get off of the bike. She stored the helmet herself while Kyrios dismounted and tugged his own off. "Are we meeting with Eric?" She questioned at the sight of an all too familiar home loomed in front of them.

"Yes, we are indeed meeting with Eric. I have to check in, as he is Sheriff of this area. They might not have made themselves public yet, but they didn't develop the monarchies and areas overnight. It was something they set up long ago." Kyrios led her up to the gate, not caring that he was basically leaving his bike on the side of the road. He pressed the buzzer on the panel installed on the right post of the gate, a faintly amused smile on his lips. "It would seem that the Northman has company."

"I know about the checking in thing, but I never thought about when they had set up this governing system." Sookie paused slightly when she realized how Kyrios had referred to the other vampires, with her doing the same thing. While he hadn't sounded malicious in how he spoke of them, it was obvious how separate and different he was. Maybe it was just now sinking in, but it didn't scare her. It probably should have, because Kyrios could walk in the sunlight and didn't need permission to enter her home. He could shift forms too! He was dangerous, so very dangerous, and she wasn't scared of him at all.

It took her a moment to realize that he had mentioned Eric having company. Pam wasn't considered company, nor was whoever he had employed as a dayman. "Company?" She echoed in a questioning tone.

"Yes. I believe-" Kyrios was interrupted by the intercom crackling to life, leaving his statement unfinished and Sookie wondering on who else would be here.

"What do you want?" The strained and obviously tired voice of one Eric Northman filters through the speaker.

"An audience with the Sheriff of Area Five." Something thrummed in Kyrios' voice, giving it a slightly odd quality of sounding like he spoke with an echo. His statement was met with silence, but Eric's response was perfectly clear as the gate rolled open. _Come in._

"Isn't it a bit early for Eric to be up?" It was only a little after one, and while she knew older vampires could wake before the sun set, this was still too early. Yet Eric had answered and let them in.

"You will find that I am not easy to ignore." It was the only explanation Kyrios gave as he started up the driveway, one that baffled her slightly. He was much older than any other vampire she had met, but she'd never heard of him before. Just who was he?

Sookie trailed after him in silence, pondering the enigma that Kyrios presented. She wasn't having second thoughts about training under him, and even with what little he had told about himself it felt like there was so much more to him. She couldn't help but be curious, especially since Eric was willing to meet with him despite it being daylight. While he surely was no match for the much older vampire during night, when all vampires were at their strongest, Eric was deliberately meeting with Kyrios during a time when he was the most vulnerable.

The heavy front door to Eric's home, thankfully well shielded from the sun with a lavish stoop, and the Viking himself stood in the doorway. Normally, she would have expected some form of sass from Eric, but his face was decidedly pinched with an expression that could only be described as forcefully obedient. "Please come in. My maker was just filling me in as to who you are," Eric said and bowed deeply once he stepped aside to give them entry.

"None of that, if you will." Kyrios had a look of faint annoyance on his face, and his posture became a little more rigid.

"My apologies, Lord." Eric straightened up, looking vaguely relieved with a touch of…concern.

This was only getting weirder and weirder. Sookie frowned as she looked from Kyrios, who was walking further into the foyer, to Eric, who was peeking at her with utter fascination between his concerned glances in Kyrios' direction. It was almost a breath of fresh air compared to the first time she had met Eric. Still, she couldn't dwell on that, not with the fact that Eric had mentioned his maker being the one to fill him in about Kyrios. If Appius were here then that meant-

"I welcome you to my progeny's home, Lord of the Night," said a voice that did not belong to Appius Livius Ocella. It was softer, almost kinder, and when her eyes fell upon the person it belonged to her jaw dropped.

He was nearly the spitting image of the remorseful vampire she'd met in her foray to Texas, if only slightly older looking and with brown hair instead of blond. Despite their similar appearance, she didn't even entertain the thought that their predilections were the same. Then what he had said caught up to her. The meaning of what he had said clicked. **He** was Eric's maker, not Appius, and that was when she realized something. Aside from what he had just called Kyrios, which wasn't even registering right now, Godfrey, who wasn't Godfrey, was Eric's maker, not Appius. She was in some sort of alternate dimension. She had wished herself into some sort of alternate dimension, because there was no other explanation. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as Kyrios turned to look at her with what appeared to be a faint smile while not-Godfrey openly stared at her with an expression akin to shock. She didn't have to turn around to know that Eric was drilling holes into the back of her head with his gaze. "Cheese and rice, I just said that aloud."


End file.
